Eurocopter AS 350 B3 Emergency Landing in Chile

Incident Overview and Location On November 16, 2025, at 13:45 local time, a Eurocopter AS 350 B3 helicopter experienced vertical vibrations while en route between the Aeródromo “Andrés Sabella” (SCFA) in Antofagasta and the Aeródromo “Desierto de Atacama” (SCDA) in Caldera, Chile. The incident occurred approximately 7 nautical miles north of the SCDA aerodrome in the Atacama Region. ## Emergency Response and Outcome Due to the severity of the vibrations, the pilot in command declared an emergency and landed the helicopter on unprepared terrain. Both occupants, a 46-year-old commercial helicopter pilot and a 37-year-old private helicopter pilot, were uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage, including deformation to the front of both skids, fractures and structural deformations to the canopy assembly, a lower short cable detached from its base, and deformation to the lower mirror support system. ## Aircraft and Crew Details The helicopter, manufactured by Eurocopter in 2002, had a serial number of 3525 and 4,333.6 service hours at the time of the incident. Its last inspection was conducted on November 3, 2025. The pilot in command held a valid commercial helicopter license with 2,131.9 total flight hours, while the co-pilot held a valid private helicopter license with 1,068.8 total flight hours. ## Investigation Status The investigation is being conducted by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) in accordance with Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the Regulation on the Investigation of Aviation Accidents and Incidents (DAR-13). As of the preliminary report, the investigation remains in the data collection and review stage to determine the cause of the incident and establish any resulting recommendations.